If you asked fans of Major League Soccer at the beginning of the season who they thought would lead the Eastern and Western Conferences at the halfway mark, no one would've answered with the Philadelphia Union and Colorado Rapids.
Both clubs have taken different approaches to reach the top of their respective conferences, but each way has been effective. Philadelphia revamped its roster through the MLS SuperDraft and with a few young signings, while Colorado has relied on league veterans and a United States men's national team star to navigate the treacherous waters of the West.
Philadelphia was aggressive at the top of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft as it attempted to build depth at every position, a goal stated by technical director Earnie Stewart when he took over after the end of the 2015 regular season.
The Union used two trades and their original draft pick to select Georgetown University defenders Joshua Yaro and Keegan Rosenberry as well as Creighton University forward Fabian Herbers.
Rosenberry has seen the most playing time of the trio and found himself in the spotlight for a stretch of matches in May after he shut down Robbie Keane, Giovani dos Santos, Didier Drogba and Ignacio Piatti in one-on-one situations. ...

Orlando City captain Kaka will not be able to participate in Copa America Centenario for the Brazil national team due to a muscle injury.
Continue for updates.
Ganso to Replace Kaka in Copa America Centenario
Wednesday, June 1
Brazilian journalist Paulo Freitas reported the news on Kaka, citing former goalkeeper and general national team coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi as the source of information.
Orlando City SC confirmed Kaka's status, and Freitas added the 34-year-old would need 15-20 days without training.
Jack Lang of ESPN FC highlighted how Brazil have had to do considerable roster reshuffling even before Kaka's injury:
Brazil begins their Copa America tournament on Saturday with a match against Ecuador. The Canarinho have won the continental football competition title eight times, which ranks third to Uruguay's 15 and Argentina's 14.
This year marks the first time the tournament won't be hosted on South American soil, going to the USA instead.
Although they haven't won the past two titles, Brazil has come out on top in the tournament in four of their past seven outings. They will need to figure out a way to bolster the attack without Kaka roaming the midfield, though.
And Kaka is far from the only marquee Brazilian player not suiting up for Copa America. As Freitas reported, Rafinha, ...